Random musings of one Columbian, a place to connect and to learn more about issues and events in Howard County. If you would like to have me blog on an issue, organization or an upcoming community service event email me at duanestclair@gmail.com
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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Train explosions: Could they happen here?

One of the facts of which you may not have been aware is that the amount of oil being transported by rail car today. The chart above shows the dramatic increase in a 10 year period. The amount of oil being drilled by fracking can not all be transported by oil pipelines. The problem is that our neglected, outdated rail lines go through many of our cities. The collapse of the roadway in Baltimore last weekis only one example of this fact. While the road collapse left many nearby residents unable to live in their homes for a short time there is another type of rail accident that has much more dramatic impacts.

The explosion shown above also happened indowntown Lynchburg, Virginialast week when oil cars derailed and exploded. The train was on its way to Norfork and would have gone through Williamsburg. As the Fire Chief of Williamsburg stated: "It definitely raises concerns," said Williamsburg Fire Chief William Dent. "We have some minimal resources here. The worst-case scenario for his department, Dent said, would be an oil-train derailment on a stretch of CSX track passing between the College of William & Mary and the popular Williamsburg historic area. Some buildings on both sides would have to be evacuated, and the department would have to call on neighboring localities for help responding to the disaster."

The impact on a town was seen last July when an explosion of a train carrying oil in the Canadian town

Lac Maganti, Quebec destroying most of the downtown area and killing 13 people.